Apparatus for shaping hats



" F. STOFFEL APPARATUS FOR SHAPING HATS Filed May 22, B22 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jan, 27; 1

F. STOFFEL APPARATUS FOR sHAPI'riG HATS Filed Kay 22, 1922 3 Shuts-Sheet 2 Jan. 27, 192 1,524,220

. F. STOFFEL APPARATUS FOR SHAPING HATS Filed May 22, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 27, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERNAND. ,STOFFEL, 0F PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOB TO VACUUM HAND, BLOCKING COMPANY, OF YORK, I T., 1., AUORPORATION OENEW- YORK.

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING- HA'rs.

Application filed May 22, 1922. Serial No, 562,639. 1'

To all whom it may concern. 7

Be it known that I, FERNAND. STOFFEL, a citizen of of the Republic of France, anda resident of Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Appmratus for Shaping flats; and Ii do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains-to make and'usc the same, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, and to letters orfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In his U. S. Patent No. 1,080,731, the applicant described a process for rapidly shaping hats wherein the hats impregnatedwith sizing are softened by the effect of steam and then applied by the use of a tight elastic membrane and by means of a vacuum upon a mould in order to obtain the desired shape of the hat and to dry the same.

The present invention relates to an apparatus ofa simple, practical and portable character whereby the above-indicated operations may be carried out, and obviating an expensive and complicated installation 1n this branch of manufacture.

In principle, the said apparatus comprises the following elements whichare so combined and'associated as'to constitute a single. device having a reduced size.

(/..A vacuum chamber serving as a base for a receptacle whose perforated top portion constitutes the support for the mould, and is connected through a conduit provided with a cock with the vacuum chamber; a row of gas jets or like heating means is provided below the said receptacle,

Z).A vacuum pump, actuated for example by an electric motor, whereof the suction end is connected with the said vacuum chamber and the delivery end with a compressed air storage reservoir.

c.A water spraying device such as an ejector, which is connected on the-one hand with the compressed air reservoir and on the other hand with a water tank, the water spray nozzle being caused to open into the said perforated receptacle supporting the mould.

The following description, together with the accompanying drawings which are given by way of example, sets forth an embodiment of this invention.

Fig- 1---l% is ageneral GlQX ElblOl'lZtl view of the apparatus.

Fig. 2-2 is a plan viewof the same, par tially in section.

In the-form of construction as set forth herermdsrgthe mould together with the hat (notsliown) is disposed upon the table a. constituting the top of a receptacle Z) which is strengthened by the hoops b 6 provided with the apertures c.

Thereceptacle b is mounted on the vacuum chamber-d which communicates by the conduit c with the suction end of a compressor 7, the latter being actuated by an electric motor 9 disposed above the same. The compressor discharges through the conduit it into a reservoir cl constituting a muffler, The receptacle band the vacuum chamber cl are in communication through the conduitj provided with the cock 7c.

The reservoir 2' is connected through the conduitl provided with the three-waycock Z with an ejector m which serves to produce a water spray, the said ejector being connected through the conduit 1'). having mounted thereon the cock a with a water tank 79- havinginimersed therein the tube a. The cock Z is a three-way cock and serves to connectthe conduit Z with the outer air fora free discharge, or with the ejector or when it is'desire-d to deliver sprayed water into the receptacle 6. The latter may be heated by any suitable means, for example by a row ofgas jets'disposed below the receptacle. Z). The whole arrangement comprising the said elements is preferably mounted upon a common base a.

The operation of the said apparatus is carried out in the following manner:

The electric motor 9 is started, and the cock Z is opened to the outer air; the vacuum pumpf produces a vacuum in the chamber cl, and the reservoir 2' will act as a muffler; inasmuch as the section of the conduitl is smaller than that of the discharge conduit' 71,, the air delivered will be stored up and compressed in the said reser voir. The hat-treated with sizing is placed upon the mould and the latter is disposed upon the top surface of the receptacle 5; the cock Z is then connected with the spray ejector m, and the cook a is opened. The air stored up in the reservoir i will pass through the conduit Z into the ejector m and will draw up water from 'the tank 2) which becomes sprayed and is delivered through the nozzle 8, Fig. 2, into the receptacle 6 wherein it is immediately transformed into steam, by reason of the high temperature given to the bottom of the receptacle Z) which is heated by the gas burners g. The steam escapes through the apertures in the top portion a and is supplied under a rubber sheet which is dis posed upon the hat under operation so as to provide for the softening of the hat. hen this is accomplished, the cock at is closed and the cock Z is opened to the outer air, then the operation of shaping thehat is proceeded with by opening the cock 7:. By reason of the vacuum in the chamber (Z, the steam and air contained-in the receptacle 2') and under the said rubber sheet will be at once d "awn out through the conduit j, and a vacuum is instantly produced under the said sheet, which will now be applied tightly against the apertured top portion ofthe vacuum receptacle a, closing the apertures and forming a tight joint, and the said sheet is also brought down strongly upon the hat which is thereby caused to conform to the mould under'the action of atmospheric pressure. This vacuum also aids in the drying. operation in an energetic manner, by the rapidv absorption of the moisture.

' It is obvious that the said apparatus is susceptible of all desired modifications without departing from the principle of --the invention; in particular, the water spray injecting device may consist of an independent apparatus such as a handoperated spray device.

As observed in the drawings, an emptying cock for condensed steam is provided at the lower part of the chamber d.

hat I claim is:

- 1. In a hat forming machine, a perforated hat form supporting table, a receptacle thereunder, a spray device to supply water to theinterior of the receptacle, means ex terior of the receptacle to heat the same and-convert water in the receptacle into steam, and means to exhaust the receptacle.

2.'In a hat forming machine, a vacuum chamber, a. perforated table supported above said chamber, a receptacle beneath said table said table forming the top of the receptacle, a heating device interposed between said chamber and receptacle, means to connectsaidchamber and receptacle, a compressed air reservoir, a compressor included between vessel and chamber, and a water jet operated by compressed air from said reservoir and connected to said receptacle.

3. In a hat forming machine, a receptacle having a perforated top forming a table, a vacuum chamber supporting said receptacle, a compressed air reservoir, a compressor interposed between said chamber and reservoir, a water tank, an ejector con top supporting hoops in said receptacle,

means to heat said receptacle, means to exhaust the receptacle and means to inject a water spay into said receptacle to produce steam therein.

5. In a hat forming machine, a receptacle having a perforated hat supporting top, a vacuum chamber beneath the receptacle and supporting the same, a gas heater between said chamber and receptacle, a con'ipressed air reservoir, a compressor interposed between said chamber and reservoir, a motor mounted over said compressor to drive the latter, a tank, an ejector connected to said reservoir and arranged to draw li nid from said tank and discharge it into said heated chamber, a valve-controlled connection be tween said chamber and receptacle, and a liquid draw-off cock at the bottom of said chamber.

6.111 a hat forming machine, a steam generating receptacle having a perforated top for supporting a hat-form, means for introducing water into the receptacle under pressure, means for heating the latter to convert the water into steam simultaneously with its entrance into the receptacle, and means to exhaust the receptacle independ ently of the injecting means. 7. In a hat forming, machine, a steam generating receptacle having a flat, pertorated, top portion, means-for highly heating the receptacle, heat conducting members inside the receptacle, means for spraying water into the latter against the conducting means, whereby steam is generated in the receptacle simultaneously with the entrance of the spray therein, and means to exhaust the receptacle independently of the inject ing means.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

FER-NAND STOF F111] i.

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